Subsequent tailoring of a sign-up page based on a search engine query

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a method of processing data including, receiving a URL at a server computer system, utilizing the URL at the server computer system to extract a plurality of server search results from a data store, and transmitting the server search results from the server computer system to the user computer system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1). Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a computer-based method and system formanipulating electronic media such as ringtones and videos.

2). Discussion of Related Art

Mobile phones usually have a number of ringtones that are installed by amanufacturer. A user can select a ringtone from a drop-down list, and itis also sometimes possible to associate different ringtones withdifferent incoming phone numbers.

A user may wish to download a ringtone from a remote server and storethe ringtone in memory of the mobile phone. However, a mobile phone andthe network that it is connected to are usually too slow and the viewingcapabilities on the mobile phone are too limited for finding media on aremote server. A company that provides mobile media content for use onmobile phones will usually also have a website that is accessible from auser computer system over the internet. The user of the mobile phone maymake use of the user computer system to find listings of mobile contenton the website through browsing or searching functionality built intothe website, and then instruct the website to facilitate downloading ofthe media content to the mobile phone. A message may, for example, besent to the mobile phone, and the message can include a link to themedia content on the server.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of processing data including, receivinga URL at a server computer system, utilizing the URL at the servercomputer system to extract a plurality of server search results from adata store, and transmitting the server search results from the servercomputer system to the user computer system.

The method may further include extracting search terms from the URL, andutilizing the search terms to extract the search results.

The search terms may include a plurality of parameters and the serversearch results match all of the parameters.

The method may further include storing a template at the server computersystem, and populating the template with the server search results sothat the template, populated with the server search results may beviewable on a display of the user computer system.

One of the server search results may be selectable at the user computersystem to transmit an associated file from the server computer system toa mobile device having a designated telephone number.

The method may further include generating the URL at the server computersystem, transmitting the URL to a search engine computer system so thatwhen a search request may be transmitted from the user computer systemto the search engine computer system the search request may be used toextract a search engine search result with the URL from a search enginedatabase and the search engine computer system transmits the searchengine search result and the URL to the user computer system so that thesearch engine search result may be selectable at the user computersystem to cause transmission of the URL from the user computer system tothe server computer system.

The invention also provides a computer-readable medium having storedthereon a set of instructions that are executable by at least oneprocessor of a computer system to carry out a method comprising,receiving a URL at a server computer system, utilizing the URL at theserver computer system to extract a plurality of server search resultsfrom a data store, and transmitting the server search results from theserver computer system to the user computer system.

The invention further provides a server computer system comprising, areceiving module for receiving a URL from a user computer system, a datastore, a search module connected to the receiving module, the searchmodule utilizing the URL to extract a plurality of server search resultsfrom the data store, and a transmitting module connected to the searchmodule, the transmitting module transmitting the search results to theuser computer system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of components of a network system in whichfeatures of the invention are embodied;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a server computer system within the networksystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an interactive chart showing communication between variouscomputer systems and a mobile device of the network system;

FIG. 4 is a browser view displaying a search page at a user computersystem within the network system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a results page that replaces the search page of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a search process that is executed atthe server computer system after selection of a search result in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows a template that is populated with search results andreplaces the results page of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 shows a download page that replaces the template of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating further components of the networksystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a machine in the form of a computer systemor a mobile device that may find application within the network system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a network system 20 thatembodies features of the invention. The network system 20 includes aserver computer system 22, a search engine computer system 24, and aplurality of user computer systems 26, 28 and 30. The search enginecomputer system 24 is connected to the server computer system 22 overthe Internet 32. The user computer systems 26 are connected over theInternet 34 to the search engine computer system 24. The user computersystems 26 are also connected to the server computer system 22 over theInternet 36. The Internet 32, 34, and 36 is shown as separate componentsfor purposes of illustrating flow of data, although it should beunderstood that the Internet is one integrated network.

FIG. 2 illustrates components of the server computer system 22 in moredetail. The server computer system 22 includes a file server 38 thathold a plurality of media files 40, a database 42, a search enginecommunication component 44, and a client computer communicationcomponent 46. The database 42 is connected to the file server 38. Thedatabase 42 includes structured data that corresponds to the media files40 in the file server 38 and is tagged with an artist and an album inthe database 42. The media files 40 are typically audio and video filesthat have been reduced to create ringtones or short video clips. Themedia file 40 also includes graphics such as album covers or graphicsassociated with a particular file.

The search engine communication component 44 includes a keyword anduniform resource locator (URL) preparation module 48 and a URLforwarding module 50. The keyword and URL preparation module 48 isconnected to the database 42 and creates a URL for each artist reflectedin the database 42, together with associated keywords. Artist-specifickeywords may be for example “U2 ringtones” and may be associated with aURL “http://offers.thumbplay.com/offers/250/artisttitle2?thpartist-U2.”Title-specific keywords may for example be “Beautiful Day, by U2ringtone” and an associated URL may be“http://offers.thumbplay.com/offers/250/artisttitle2?thpartist=U2&thptitle=beautiful+day.”

The keyword and URL preparation module 48 stores the generated URL's andassociated keywords in memory. The URL forwarding module 50 is connectedto the keyword and URL preparation module 48 and forwards the URL's andassociated keywords to the search engine computer system 24 in FIG. 1 aspart of a sales transaction that requires payment.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the search engine computer system 24has a database 54, a keyword and URL receiving service 56, and a searchengine 58. The keyword and URL receiving service 56 is connected overthe Internet 32 to the URL forwarding module 50 in FIG. 2 and is alsoconnected the database 54. The keyword and URL receiving service 56 isresponsible for communicating payment information with the servercomputer system 22 and, following a completed sale, stores the URL's andassociated keywords in the database 54.

FIG. 3 illustrates the overall data communication according to theembodiment of the invention. The user computer system 26, search enginecomputer system 24 and server computer system 22 are represented byvertical lines and a further vertical line represents a user mobiledevice 60. Step 62 represents the transmission of the URL's andassociated keywords from the server computer system 22 to the searchengine computer system 24. The transmission of the URL's and thekeywords may be in the form of a signal that includes an address of thesearch engine computer system 24, the URL's and the associated keywords.The transmission of the signal from the server computer system 22results in a corresponding reception of the signal at the search enginecomputer system 24. Not every transmission and every reception isdescribed herein. One skilled in the art will appreciate that thetransmission of the signal will have an associated reception of thesignal and will also appreciate what the components of such a signalwill entail. Many of the signal components are also listed in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates a browser view 62 that displays a search page 64 atthe user computer system 26 in FIG. 1. The browser view 62 includes aviewing pane 67 within which the search page 64 is displayed. Thebrowser view 62 also has an address box 66 and back and forward buttons68. A user can use a mouse to move a cursor 70 into the address box 66,and then depress a button on the mouse to select the address box 66. Theuser can then utilize a keyboard to enter text such as“http://www.google.com” in the address box 66, and can then depress an“enter” key on the keyboard to transmit a signal and a request for thepage. The text within the address box 66 can also be automaticallyupdated, for example, when a user logs into a user-specific page. Theback and forward buttons 68 can be selected to view earlier orsubsequent pages.

Referring to FIG. 1, the “enter” key that is depressed as described withreference to FIG. 4, causes transmission request for a search page fromthe user computer system 26 over the Internet 34 to the search engine56. At Step 74 in FIG. 3, the search engine 58 in FIG. 1 automaticallyresponds to the request 72 by transmitting the search page 64 in FIG. 4to the user computer system 26. Referring again to FIG. 4, the searchpage 64 includes a search box 76, and a search button 78. A user canenter a query such as “Fergie ringtones” in the search box 76 and thenselect the search button 78. As shown in FIG. 3, at Step 80, a query istransmitted from the user computer system 26 to the search enginecomputer system 24 in response to the selection of the search button 78in FIG. 4.

The search engine 58 in FIG. 1 utilizes the query to extract data fromthe database 54. The database 54 may have millions of entries, but onlya few entries that have the keywords “Fergie” and “ringtones.” Thesearch engine 58 only extracts the queries that are tagged with thekeyword “Fergie” and “ringtones.” The search engine 58 then prepares aresults page with the results that are extracted from the database 54.At Step 82 in FIG. 3, the search engine 58 in FIG. 1 transmits thesearch results over the Internet 54 to the user computer system 26.

FIG. 5 shows a results page 84 that is displayed at the user computersystem 26 in FIG. 1. The results page 84 includes a plurality of searchresults 86 that are crawler generated and a plurality of search resultsthat are generated by the keyword and URL receiving service 56 in FIG. 1from a plurality of server computer systems such as the server computersystem 22. The search results 88 include at the top one search resultthat originated from the server computer system 22 in FIG. 1. The searchresults 88 include a link 90 with a title and an underlying URL that isnot shown. The underlying URL is as follows:“http://offers.thumbplay.com/offers/250/artisttile2?thpartist=Fergie.”Selection of the link 90 causes transmission of the URL from the usercomputer system 26 over the Internet 36 to the server computer system 22in FIG. 1, as represented by Step 92 in FIG. 3. In another embodiment,selection of the link 90 may cause transmission of a signal from theuser computer system 26 over the Internet 34 to the search enginecomputer system 24, and transmission of the URL from the search enginecomputer system 24 to the server computer system 22. In either case, theURL reaches the server computer system 22 and sets a search process inmotion.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the client computer communication component46 includes a data receiving module 98, a search engine 100, a template102, a results page preparation module 104, and a data transmissionsmodule 106. The data receiving module 98 is connected over the Internet36 in FIG. 1 to the user computer system 26. The search engine 100 isconnected to the data receiving module 98 and the database 42. Theresults page preparation module 104 is connected to the search engine100 and the template 102. The data transmissions module 106 is connectedto the results page preparation module 104 and over the Internet 36 inFIG. 1 to the user computer system 26.

Referring to FIG. 6, at step 92 (corresponding to Step 92 in FIG. 3) thedata receiving module 98 receives the URL from the user computer system26. At Step 108, the search engine 100 extracts search terms from theURL. In the given example, the search term that is extracted from theURL is “Fergie” for artist. In another example, the search terms thatare extracted from the URL may be “U2” for artist and “Beautiful”+“Day”for title. The database 42 has many entries that do not match theextracted terms and a few entries that do match the extracted terms. AtStep 110, the search engine 100 utilizes the search term to extract thesearch results from the database 42 that have the extracted terms. Thesearch engine 100 then forwards the extracted search results to theresults page preparation module 104.

At Step 112, the results page preparation module 104 accesses thetemplate 102 and populates the template 102 with search results from thesearch engine 100. FIG. 7 illustrates the template 102 as it ispopulated with the search results 114 from the search engine 100 in FIG.2. The database 42 in FIG. 2 also has a plurality of graphics, each onewith an associated artist and an associated title. The search engine 100extracts one graphics 116 and includes the graphics 116 in the template102. The same template 102 will be used if the extracted terms aredifferent, for example, “U2,” but the search results 114 and thegraphics 116 will differ.

At Step 118 in FIG. 6, the data transmissions module 106 in FIG. 2transmits the template 102 in FIG. 7 already populated with the searchresults 114 and the graphics 116 over the Internet 36 in FIG. 1 to theuser computer system 26. Step 118 in FIG. 6 is also represented in Step118 in FIG. 3. As further shown in FIG. 3, a single signal istransmitted at Step 118, including an address of the user computersystem 26, the template 102, and the search results 114 populated on thetemplate 102. It is also possible for the data transmissions module 106to send the template 102 first, and then send the search results 114 sothat the template 102 is populated with the search results 114 at theuser computer system 26.

Each one of the search results 114 has a respective “play” button nextto, and therefore associated therewith. As mentioned, each one of thesearch results 114 is associated with a respective one of the mediafiles 40 in the file server 38 of FIG. 2. When a user at the usercomputer system 26 selects one of the “play” buttons 120, the associatedmedia file 40 is constantly streamed to the user computer system 26. Ifthe media file 40 is an audio file, an audio output is created at theuser computer system 26. The audio file plays at a constant speed from astart to an end position.

Each one of the search results 114 has a respective selector 124 nextto, and therefore associated therewith. A user can select one ofselectors 124. Only one of the selectors 124 can be selected at aparticular time; an earlier selection will thus be unselected if theuser subsequently makes another selection. The template 102 also hastelephone number fields 126, and a “next” button 128. The user can entera number in the telephone number fields 126, select one of the selectors124, and then select the “next” button 128. In the present example, theuser has selected the selector 124 corresponding to the search result114 at the top.

Referring to FIG. 3, Step 130 represents a signal that is transmittedfrom the user computer system 26 to the server computer system 22 uponselection of the “next” button 128 in FIG. 7. The signal includes theparticular selection that the user made in FIG. 7 and also includes thephone number entered by the user. At Step 132, the server computersystem 22 transmits a download page 134 as shown in FIG. 8 to the usercomputer system 26. The download page 134 includes a password field 136,a phone selection field 138, and a “download” button 140. The downloadpage 134 also includes components that are specific to the selectionmade by the user, including graphics 142 associated with the particularselection and a “play” button 144.

The user can enter a password in the password field 136 and select aparticular type of phone in the phone selection field 138. The user canthen select the “download” button 140. Referring to FIG. 3, at Step 146,the password and the phone number are transmitted from the user computersystem 26 to the server computer system 22.

FIG. 9 illustrates another part of the network system 20 of FIG. 1,including a plurality of user mobile devices 60, 150 and 152 that areconnected over a Wide Application Protocol (WAP) network 156, and aShort Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)network 158 to the server computer system 22. The server computer system22, in addition to the file server 38 and the database 42, includes acontent delivery platform and content management system 160, a Web site162, a WAP site 164, an SMS/MMS gateway 166, and a transcoding service168. The database 42 is connected to the file server 38. The contentdelivery platform and content management system 160 forms the center ofthe server computer system 22 and all other components including the Website 162, WAP site 164, SMS/MMS gateway 166, transcoding service 168,file server 38 and the database 42 are directly connected to the contentdelivery platform and content management system 160. The contentdelivery platform and content management system 160 indexes files fromthe file server 38 into the database 42 in a structured manner asrequired for downloading and for the Web site 162, WAP site 164, SMS/MMSgateway 166, and transcoding service 168. For purposes of furtherdiscussion it will be assumed that the user mobile device 60 has thephone number entered in the fields 126 of FIG. 7.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the server computer system 22 sends a message170 to user mobile device 60. The message 170 is in the form of a simpleSMS message that is sent over the SMS/MMS network 158 in FIG. 9. Themessage 170 includes a link 90 that is selectable by a user of the usermobile device 60, typically the same user as the computer system 26. Theuser can utilize “arrow” and “enter” keys of the mobile device 60 toselect the link 90. Upon selection of the link 90, the mobile device 60transmits a requesting signal that includes the link 90 (172 in FIG. 3)over the WAP network 156 to the content delivery platform and contentmanagement system 160. The content delivery platform and contentmanagement system 160 then extracts the corresponding media file 40 fromthe file server 38 (FIGS. 2 and 9) over the WAP network 156 to the usermobile device 60, as represented by Step 174 in FIG. 3. The respectiveuser mobile device 60 then automatically stores a copy of the selectedmedia file 40 in memory.

FIG. 10 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in theexemplary form of a computer system 900 within which a set ofinstructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In alternativeembodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may beconnected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. Themachine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box(STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a webappliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable ofexecuting a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifyactions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a singlemachine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken toinclude any collection of machines that individually or jointly executea set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more ofthe methodologies discussed herein.

The exemplary computer system 900 includes a processor 902 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) orboth), a main memory 904 (e.g., read only memory (ROM), flash memory,dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) orRambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), and a static memory 906 (e.g., flash memory,static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), which communicate with eachother via a bus 908.

The computer system 900 may further include a video display 910 (e.g., aliquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computersystem 900 also includes an alpha-numeric input device 912 (e.g., akeyboard), a cursor control device 914 (e.g., a mouse), a disk driveunit 916, a signal generation device 918 (e.g., a speaker), and anetwork interface device 920.

The disk drive unit 916 includes a machine-readable medium 922 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions 924 (e.g., software)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein. The software may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 904 and/or within the processor 902 duringexecution thereof by the computer system 900, the main memory 904 andthe processor 902 also constituting machine-readable media.

The software may further be transmitted or received over a network 928via the network interface device 920.

While the machine-readable medium 924 is shown in an exemplaryembodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium”should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium thatis capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions forexecution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any oneor more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term“machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but notbe limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, andcarrier wave signals.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments aremerely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, andthat this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions andarrangements shown and described since modifications may occur to thoseordinarily skilled in the art.

1. A method of processing data, comprising: receiving a URL at a servercomputer system; utilizing the URL at the server computer system toextract a plurality of server search results from a data store; andtransmitting the server search results from the server computer systemto the user computer system.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: extracting search terms from the URL; and utilizing thesearch terms to extract the search results.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the search terms include a plurality of parameters and theserver search results match all of the parameters.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: storing a template at the server computersystem; and populating the template with the server search results sothat the template, populated with the server search results is viewableon a display of the user computer system.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein one of the server search results is selectable at the usercomputer system to transmit an associated file from the server computersystem to a mobile device having a designated telephone number.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: generating the URL at the servercomputer system; transmitting the URL to a search engine computer systemso that when a search request is transmitted from the user computersystem to the search engine computer system the search request is usedto extract a search engine search result with the URL from a searchengine database and the search engine computer system transmits thesearch engine search result and the URL to the user computer system sothat the search engine search result is selectable at the user computersystem to cause transmission of the URL from the user computer system tothe server computer system.
 7. A computer-readable medium having storedthereon a set of instructions that are executable by at least oneprocessor of a computer system to carry out a method comprising:receiving a URL at a server computer system, utilizing the URL at theserver computer system to extract a plurality of server search resultsfrom a data store; and transmitting the server search results from theserver computer system to the user computer system.
 8. A server computersystem comprising: a receiving module for receiving a URL from a usercomputer system; a data store; a search module connected to thereceiving module, the search module utilizing the URL to extract aplurality of server search results from the data store; and atransmitting module connected to the search module, the transmittingmodule transmitting the search results to the user computer system.